Your 2022-2023 season's expectations and aspirations

[redebreck]

Mid-table mediocrity.
Unless...we find some kind of midfield improvement.
I'm hoping FSG either sell up, or find some way of putting some investment into the playing staff.
One new midfield player, Thiago, in the past five years. Madness.

[ianlfc]

The Madrid games now look even bigger now we've f all to play for elsewhere.
Hopefully Gapko gets a shot on target from now until then !!

[Insidious]

11 games left after R. Madrid 2nd game.
33 points
11 wins.

I'm a bit concerned about keeping everyone happy in terms of minutes.

Probably daft thinking about it as we have much bigger problems, but still.

[eggy81]

The Madrid games now look even bigger now we've f all to play for elsewhere.
Hopefully Gapko gets a shot on target from now until then !!

Hard to see anything but a heavy defeat.

[Insidious]

Hard to see anything but a heavy defeat.

Real Madrid have lost 2 of their last 5 and Klopp seems determined to get us to tighten up at the back.

We'll lose over the two legs, but I don't envisage an embarrassing 8-0 scoreline over the two legs for example. I think it will be relatively close and we will collectively bemoan the fact that our players can get up for Champion's League matches but not show grit/fight in the remainder of the League campaign.

[ianlfc]

Real Madrid have lost 2 of their last 5 and Klopp seems determined to get us to tighten up at the back.

We'll lose over the two legs, but I don't envisage an embarrassing 8-0 scoreline over the two legs for example. I think it will be relatively close and we will collectively bemoan the fact that our players can get up for Champion's League matches but not show grit/fight in the remainder of the League campaign.

Jurgen told us in May we'll be in Istanbul for the final. I believe him !!

[Insidious]

Jurgen told us in May we'll be in Istanbul for the final. I believe him !!

I don't think many envisage us getting past Real Madrid.

The quarter-finals aren't until April 11th/12th, and April 18th/19th so if we did reach them and had everyone back I might join you on the "ach, why not?!?!" train - but we suck right now and Real Madrid find something special in Europe with rather annoying consistency.

[Insidious]

I'm hoping FSG either sell up, or find some way of putting some investment into the playing staff.
One new midfield player, Thiago, in the past five years. Madness.

FSG certainly have their faults, but I very much doubt that John Henry forced anyone's hand when it came to us buying -

- Diaz (£37m or so)
- Carvalho (between £5m and £7.7m)
- Núñez (£65m rising to £85m or so)
- Gakpo (£40m or so)

- all within the last 12 months, without any midfield upgrade. A decision will have been made (either via a committee or an individual) that we had enough in midfield for this season when we couldn't land Tchouameni and if we knew who made that call, then it would merit examination.

[justme]

But we needed replacements upfront.. seem J W Henry only allows us a player at a time..

[Steveo]

Every single one of those players fits the FSG MO. Not one of them was at the elite level to improve an elite first 11.

The fact that Diaz owned Mané’s wing was due to how well he played on arrival BUT he was used more than any elite club would expect to use a young incoming player. Mané had in all honesty been a shadow of his former self for over a year prior to Diaz’s arrival.

It was a sign of how much we were slowing as a side. No way Diaz ousts Mané from 2019… the time when you buy such players.

We have flogged players to death and then brought in prospects to rotate or replace. That’s NOT how you stay on top.

FSG have admitted as much - or they are using it as justification now - to sell and take their billions back across the pond to invest in a closed shop cash generator.